Just two months after the USDA’s decision to deregulate Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist corn and soybean traits in the U.S., Dow AgroSciences announced yesterday the launch the companion product, Enlist Duo herbicide for the 2015 crop season. Enlist Duo is part of the Enlist Weed Control System, a herbicide-tolerant trait technology for corn and soybeans. The herbicide will provide new advantages for the management of hard-to-control and resistant weeds. It will be launched in conjunction with a stewarded introduction of Enlist corn, and seed production of Enlist soybeans in 2015....More

Plant health company Verdesian Life Sciences took the media behind the gates of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico this week to see where the technology for its plant health product Take Off was discovered. The technology increases the metabolism in plants to help them grow better. “From the 1920s to 1970s, farmers saw a nice increase in crop yields per acre with mechanization and hybrid seed,” says J.J. Grow, CEO of Verdesian. “But yields have slowed down drastically since then....More

Companies are turning to biological approaches for boosting crop yields. The range of approaches is varied, from seed treatments to new sprays. Alliances bring more horsepower to product development efforts....More

Syngenta shares earnings report and shows strength in U.S. market. COO Davor Pisk offers insight into key issues, including weather and seed production. The company is pushing for international regulatory framework for biotech products....More

Commodity Classic 2014 got rolling today in San Antonio, TX, where growers and industry reps from around the country gathered to talk about the newest technologies and products available to achieve top yields. Syngenta launched its “top secret” herbicide; we learned Winfield is offering a new nutrient management system; and lots of other interesting tech products were found.
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Herbicide-tolerant weeds push crop protection companies to find better solutions. New formulations are coming out this year from the major manufacturers. A solid weed management plan will be vital in maintaining good yields this year....More

To expand control strategies, crop protection companies are turning to biologicals. Beneficial bacteria and other organisms can help avoid resistance issues. Formulation technology will be key for companies developing products....More

The Twin Cities, MN, is home to major agriculture companies, so our staff, all local, are privy to talk around town about these giants like Cargill and fertilizer company Mosaic. Today while I was driving in our first major snowstorm of the season I heard on our local 830 WCCO radio station an interview with John VomHoff Jr., staff reporter for the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal....More

European farmers are looking at new ways to keep the pesticides they use on the farm. A “biobed” approach offers a self-contained way to process crop protection products. Microorganisms in the biobed’s soil break down the crop protection products....More

Nematodes finally may be meeting their match with new technology available. A range of products on the market, and in the pipeline, will help make short work of SCN. In soybeans alone, yield losses can top 30% with a heavy nematode infestation....More

Getting the most out of N is increasingly important for a crop production budget. Enhanced efficiency N is available in two ways: stabilizers and controlled release. Both types of technology help maximize nitrogen’s availability to a crop....More

The partnership with Chr. Hansen, a biosciences company, will result in development of biological crop protection products. And the acquisition of the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Biosolutions (CAEB) will lead to an enhanced research pipeline to develop new patented technologies....More